Gavin van Zyl said his smart three-year-old Judpot gelding Rocketball had “come out of the July bouncing” and he hoped the blinkers would do the trick in the Gr 1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Stakes over 1800m at the eLan Gold Cup meeting at Greyville on Sunday. Meanwhile, his son and assistant Gareth is bullish about the chances of No Worries in the same race.

The yard also have a number of other runners with chances on the day. Rocketball, who has a giant of a stride, disappointed in the Vodacom Durban July when turning for home too far out of his ground and then failing to quicken.

Gavin said, “I hope the blinkers help this time. He has a good draw so will hopefully be ridden just off the pace and will hopefully follow through.” Champion jockey Gavin Lerena rides and is a boost to his chances.

No Worries bounced back to form this season over staying trips. However, he then proved the turnaround had little to do with his stamina capacity when winning the KZN Breeders Million Mile off the back of a slow pace, displaying a fine turn of foot.

The 1800m trip should be perfect. The draw of nine is tricky, but didn’t stop him in the KZN Million Mile, where he jumped from draw ten. Warren Kennedy gets on well with the six-year-old Kahal gelding and remains aboard. Gareth said, “He is 100%, we couldn’t have hoped for a better preparation. I am confident he will do his best.”

Gavin has an interesting runner in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes over 1600m, the eye-catching Gimmethegreenlight gelding Without A Doubt. He is still a maiden but has impressed with his strong finishes against some good horses over shorter.

Gavin said, “He has good form and I don’t think he ran to his best on the poly last time (2,8 length third to Qeyaadah), I think he is better on the turf. He is bred to go the ground and further and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ran into the money.”

In the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m, Gavin runs Mogok filly Costa Da Sol. He said, “She has good form but is yet to come up against this sort of opposition and she has a wide draw too. But the two-year-old form is still establishing itself at this time of the year so we are taking our chances and hope she runs into the money.”

Gareth runs Poster Girl in the Thekwini and said, “Anton Marcus suggested we run her in this race and her work has been very good. The race will tell whether she stays the mile or not. All things considered, she could be the dark horse.”

Gavin’s sprinter Isca won well on Vodacom Durban July day and now runs over the same polytrack 1000m course and distance in the Listed Umgeni Handicap. However, he now has an eleven draw to overcome, as opposed to two, and was also given a maximum eight point raise for that last win. Gavin said, “I am just as happy with him as I was before that last run and he will run a good race.”

Gavin runs King Of Kings gelding Prince Ariano in the second race, a Juvenile Plate over 1900m on the turf. He said, “We have put the blinkers on and he is looking for the extra ground. He has got a chance and I expect him to run into the money.”

Gareth runs the talented Mygirldownunder in the Gr 2 Debutante over 1200m, but he was cautious about her chances.

He said, “She is very fast and only time will tell whether she sees out 1200m, so it not ideal trying that trip for the first time after a little rest and from a wide draw. She will likely come on from the run but is above average and it is a Gr 2 so we decided to take our chances. She certainly won’t disgrace herself.”

Gareth runs Night Shadow in the last race of the season, a MR 78 Handicap over 1900m on the poly, where he has an inexperienced 4kg claimer up in order to alleviate his 63,5kg weight. Gareth is not sure what to expect from this horse, whom he believes to probably be “bi-polar”. He said, “He is temperamental and has gone off the boil, but it seems it’s mental because one day he wants to work, the next day he doesn’t. If the right Night Shadow arrives he will probably win, so we hope he bounces back to form. He is fit and sound.”

Gavin completed his grass work with his charges last week and has been using the Summerveld polytrack this week.

Gareth has been using the Summerveld poly and the grass bend this week. None of the yard’s runners have missed any work.

David Thiselton